Nidec CEO Apologises After Probe Finds 844 Quality Control Violations
Nidec Corp. apologises after an internal probe found 844 quality control violations over a decade, including faked tests and unauthorised changes.
Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec Corp. has issued a public apology after an internal investigation uncovered widespread quality control failures spanning more than a decade. The company said on Friday that it had identified 844 cases of misconduct across several business units, dating back to 2012.
Chief Executive Mitsuya Kishida bowed deeply at a news conference in Tokyo, expressing regret for the trouble caused to business partners, shareholders, investors and society. "We take this matter extremely seriously," he said, adding that the entire company is working to review and improve its quality controls.
The investigation found that most violations involved changing product materials or manufacturing processes without proper approval. Other cases included faking product tests and mislabelling the origin of goods. Company officials said the misconduct was largely driven by employees under intense pressure to achieve results, who believed they were acting in the company's interest.
The probe was launched after an accounting fraud scandal surfaced last year. While Kishida acknowledged that the issues strike at the heart of what it means to be a manufacturer, he stressed that no safety problems have been identified so far and that no large-scale recalls are planned.
Nidec, which employs more than 100,000 people, produces motors used in a wide range of applications, including pumps, air conditioners, robotics, and automotive components such as driver-assistance systems and heat management.